Gloria Furman - Word-Filled Womens Ministry: Loving and Serving the Church

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Out of both biblical conviction and years of experience, these women think seriously about discipleship, evangelism, intergenerational mentoring, and compassion. Their strength is evident, their commitment to Scripture robust, their joy in the gospel intoxicating, their anticipation of the consummation providing a lodestar to their lives and service. Although this is a book by women to foster Word-filled womens ministry, much of it will be read with equal profit by men. I hope that some of those men will be pastors who in consequence reflect on what they can do encourage such ministry in their own churches.

D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Womens ministry is ultimately not about women. Nor is it about programs. Its about the glory of God and the health of his church. Word-Filled Womens Ministry is a much-needed resource for both men and women to consider the necessity of ministry among women as well as the centrality of the Word for cultivating a church in which women flourish.

Melissa B. Kruger, Womens Ministry Coordinator, Uptown Church; author, The Envy of Eve

There is no question that the women in your churches will be discipled. The only question is whether they will be discipled by the world or the Word. Thats why Im so excited about Word-Filled Womens Ministry. Its more than a book. These contributors represent a movement of teachers guiding women to find hope and freedom and salvation in the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in his Word. I couldnt more highly esteem these writers, and I pray that you will take up their charge to take up the Word.

Collin Hansen, Editorial Director, The Gospel Coalition; author, Blind Spots

Here is a book that focuses on the possibilities and not just the problems of ministry among women. It is written by women from a wide range of ministry contexts, but all with hearts that beat with a common gospel rhythm. Every chapter is grounded in Scripture and wonderfully practical. Women and men of the Word, read it and be encouraged by all the gospel possibilities.

Jenny Salt, Dean of Students, Sydney Missionary and Bible College

A marvelous resource for thoughtful Christians, male and female, who long to see the power of the gospel unleashed in their own lives, in the church, and throughout world.

Colin Smith, Senior Pastor, The Orchard, Arlington Heights, Illinois

This is a significant subject that I have long been interested in, and the voices of my sisters in this book are as edifying as they are encouraging. Pastors, teachers, elders, and womens ministry leaders alike will benefit from this Bible-based, gospel-centered, local churchfocused work. I so resonate with their central thesisProfitable ministry among women is grounded in Gods Word, grows in the context of Gods people, and aims for the glory of Christthat I anticipate with joy the flourishing of this vision in the churches.

J. Ligon Duncan III, Chancellor and CEO, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi

Word-Filled Womens Ministry is written for the bustling daughters of Christ, who need Gods Word to train and sustain them in their various labors. It acknowledges the vast diversity of womens ministries in different churches while calling them to a unified commitment to Gods Word. Women grow best as they learn from Scripture, first as it is preached to the gathered church and then as it is explored and explained in the company of other godly women. This book is an incentive to the latter, casting a vision for what can and ought to happen when the Bible takes its rightful place at the center of womens ministry.

Megan Hill, pastors wife; blogger, Sunday Women

Full of careful biblical teaching and many helpful applications, this book is an invaluable aid for all Christian women to think through their own ministry possibilities. But it is also a highly useful tool for pastors and elders to understand and then activate much-needed biblical opportunities for every ministry in the local church. I hope it will be on the must-read list of every church leader.

David Jackman, Former President, Proclamation Trust, London, England

Gloria Furman and Kathleen Nielson, along with a host of other talented writers, help us explore a vision-guided practice of our theology. Too often in church ministry, gender is received as a problem to be solved rather than as a beautiful gift from God to be explored. This book is a marvelous map to enjoy God, lead in Gods church, and explore Gods world, whether a woman is stepping into ministry for the first time or is a seasoned veteran.

Daniel Montgomery, Pastor, Sojourn Community Church, Louisville, Kentucky; Founder, Sojourn Network; author, Faithmapping and Proof

Other Crossway titles by The Gospel Coalition

Dont Call It a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day, edited by Kevin DeYoung (2011)

Gods Love Compels Us: Taking the Gospel to the World, edited by D. A. Carson and Kathleen B. Nielson (2015)

The Gospel as Center: Renewing Our Faith and Reforming Our Ministry Practices, edited by D. A. Carson and Timothy Keller (2012)

Here Is Our God: Gods Revelation of Himself in Scripture, edited by Kathleen B. Nielson and D. A. Carson (2014)

His Mission: Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, edited by D. A. Carson and Kathleen B. Nielson (2015)

The Scriptures Testify about Me: Jesus and the Gospel in the Old Testament, edited by D. A. Carson (2013)

Word-Filled

WOMENS MINISTRY

GLORIA FURMAN &
KATHLEEN B. NIELSON

EDITORS

Word-Filled Womens Ministry: Loving and Serving the Church

Copyright 2015 by The Gospel Coalition

Published by Crossway
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Jeff Miller, Faceout Studio

Cover image: Olga Korneeva/Shutterstock

First printing 2015

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AT are the authors translation.

Scripture references marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.